Kingdom Hearts IV: Kairi's Quest
by FreakBoy Mike
Summary: This is the First part of my threepart story. it takes place three years after Kingdom Hearts II. Kairi goes on a quest to wake up some very important people. It's who they are that is surprising. PLEASE READ! I WANT YOUR OPINIONS!
1. Chapter 1: The Warrior

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. Chapter One: _The Warrior_

An Old Man stands on top of a building, staring out at a bright, heart-shaped moon. He stared at it with arms crossed and with a repugnant glare in his red fire eyes. There is something about the moon that he doesn't like. He glared at the moon, letting its light shine on his yellow goat-tee and his long, yellow hair, which is brushed back. He wears a black suit with a huge red cape and has a long red ribbon hanging down from his hand. This old man is, none other, than Ansem the Wise.

Suddenly, another figure appeared out of nowhere. This figure has its head covered with a hood. The figure's outfit is identical to the outfit Ansem was wearing, but the figure's outfit is in a dark blue color. She peaks to him with a deep feminine voice. "Ansem the Wise. It is good to see _you_ here tonight."

"Where have you been?" Ansem asked curiously.

"I have gone to see the warrior." The Hooded Figure replied.

"And how is she?" 

"She is back on the island and is safe."

"Good."

"And, also, the imposter, bearing your name, has been defeated by the boy who wields the keyblade."

"You mean Sora?" The Hooded Figure nodded. "Ah, then he has done well."

"Actually, he has done well in all the worlds he has gone to." The Hooded Figure retorted.

"And how do you know this?" Ansem asked with concern.

"I was watching over him."

"Why?"

"To make sure he would survive."

"I'm glad for that," Ansem smiled, then quickly faded away. "But, you were suppose to stay in the temple, watching over Maximus. That was exactly where you were suppose to be tonight as well."

"I had to make sure the girl was okay. After all, she is the one that will destroy the evil that is coming."

"I understand that. But, you do have your orders that must be obeyed."

The Hooded Figure lowered her head, as if in shame. "I apologize."

Ansem shut his eyes and sighed. "No, I'm the one that should apologize. It is not you that I am upset about." The Hooded Figure looked up at him. "It is about Alexia. It seems that she was responsible for the betrayal of my apprentice and has helped him form a group of his own."

"Apprentice? Are you talking about Xehanort?"

Ansem nodded. "He and my other apprentices have found others and are attempting to find Kingdom Hearts."

"Who are these 'others' you refer to?"

"They are nobodies."

The Hooded Figure stared at him. "Nobodies?"

"They are incomplete people; people who do not really exist. They intend to find something that would make them whole again."

"What is it they are trying to find?"

"Their own hearts."

The Hooded Figure turned towards the heart-shaped moon. "Have you heard anything from him recently?"

"What I only know is that Xehanort and his group are trying to find Kingdom Hearts." The Hooded Figure, slightly, threw her head back, laughing. Ansem stared at her with strange eyes. "And what is so funny that you have to laugh out loud?"

"I never thought the nobodies were that stupid. Don't they know that the Kingdom Herats is—"

Ansem sshed her and looked around their location. They are in the Nobodies world, of course. The Hooded Figure realizes that and doesn't say another word. They stood there for a minute or two until the Hooded Figure turned to Ansem. "Yes?" Ansem asked.

The Figure wondered. "What is the name of the group Xehanort and the other apprentices formed?"

Ansem, with deep regret, sighed before answering, "Organization XIII."

"Oh. Interesting name, but I am not concerned about them." Ansem turned to her. "I am only concerned about Alexia."

"Do not worry, my good friend." Ansem smiled. "She and the Apostles will not do anything until the warrior is ready to begin the quest that awaits her."

"How do you know that?"

Ansem was quiet for a moment before he answered. "She told me herself and in person."

The Hooded Figure jumped a little after what she heard. "She did? When?"

"A couple of days ago. She had a hunch that I feared of her trying to bring back the forgotten evil and came to see me to ease my fear. I let her leave me unharmed, she and I."

"You did nothing to stop her from leaving?"

"Yes."

The Hooded Figure stared at him, then turned to the heart-shaped moon. "I understand."

"I know, my good friend. However, she was a bit anxious to do battle with the warrior. She even wanted to know what she looked like."

The Hooded Figure slightly chuckled. "Well, she'll get her chance."

"And speaking of doing battle, when shall we see this warrior do battle? The girl that you've checked on?"

"Not for a very long time, I'm afraid. Maximus felt that she is too young, and the condition she is in now, she is not ready to defeat Alexia and the Apostles, neither is she ready to defeat the forgotten evil that is coming."

Ansem sighed in painful regret as he hears this distressing news. He was hoping that the day would come for the darkness to fully vanish. The fear of this forgotten evil coming out and wiping out the light was swimming around his head, not attempting to stop. He took one glance towards the heart-shaped moon, then turned to the Hooded Figure. "How long do we have until she is ready?"

"According to what Maximus said, the warrior has to be eighteen years of age before she can begin her quest, which was what I said to her when I met her. I'm afraid we have to wait no longer than four years."

Ansem smiled. "Good. That means Alexia cannot cause anymore damage than what she has caused."

"Yes. That is a relief." The Hooded Figure retorted.

The two look up at the heart-shaped moon. "Only four years." Ansem said to himself, out loud. The Hooded Figure only nodded her head. They did not say another to one another for a few minutes until the silence was broken by the Hooded Figure when she turned to him, looking down at his hands, and asked him. "Ansem, is that what I think it is?"

Ansem looked down at his hand to find the red ribbon. "It is just an ordinary ribbon."

"No, I meant your other hand." She corrected.

He looked at his other hand to find some untouched sea-salt ice cream on a stick. He held it up to his face and gave out a big laugh. "I thought I would be hungry when I arrived here." He holds it out to the Hooded Figure. "But I guess I wasn't. You can have it."

The Hooded Figure accepted it, thinking he had it on purpose. "Thank you, Ansem the Wise" She said to him. He nodded his head to her, smiling, before turning around to depart. "Where are you going?" she asked.

Ansem stopped where he was after hearing her question. "It seems that the young boy, Sora, and his companions will soon find their way to Castle Oblivion, which means his memories are going to be deranged by Namine." He answered, without turning. He took the red ribbon and started to wrap it around his head. He talked to the Hooded Figure while going through this procedure. "I may be needed to mend them back to the way they were."

"How long will that take, if I may ask?" The Hooded Figure asked, concerned.

"I have no idea. It depends on what Namine thinks."

"Well, I'll see you soon, Ansem the Wise."

Ansem, finished wrapping his head, turned to her direction and smiled. "From now on, I shall be known as Diz." He turned around and disappeared.

The Hooded Figure stared at the place Ansem the Wise vanished. She sighed with a sound of low enthusiasm in her voice. Then, she stared down at the ice cream bar, which she raised to her face level, then stuck the whole bar in the hood, which then came out as the stick only. This whole procedure occurred in less than just one second. She then threw the stick up in the air and razed it with her whip. A moment later, the light from the heart-shaped moon distracted her, making her whip fall from her hand. There was an intense stiffness in her expression as her eyes were directly at the surface of the moon. She talked to the heart-shaped moon with extreme hatred. "Yes, you will be free soon, I will not doubt that. You may try to start all the destruction you have caused long, long before. But, let me tell you this: Kairi will stop you, no matter what. You will be out, but don't ever succeed." Her hands were stiffening from all the squeezing of hatred. "Don't ever succeed!"

Here is my first chapter. I am so happy to have it done. I will have many more chapters in the near future. Until then, read and tell me what you think.


	2. Chapter 2: An Unknown Place

**Note: Sorry it took so long to update, but I was just lazy for a moment. Anyway, here is the next chapter. Enjoy!**

Chapter Two: _An Unknown Place_

Somewhere, far away from the heart-shaped moon is another moon, a round moon, shining down on a quiet, but disturbing, dark forest. Sounds of the creatures can be heard off in the distance, but they were never seen at all, which made it completely disturbing. The atmosphere of the forest is more like walking through a never-ending swamp. The trees have no openings for any rays from the moonlight to shine through; this is because the leaves are covered with a sticky substance that is unknown to anybody, making them stick to each other very tightly. The slime sticking them was not the only thing covering the moonshine; it was also the branches being abnormally thick and the leaves were as big as a large man's fist. The only openings, however, for any moonshine coming through were some opening between the trees. They were, however, very thin openings, looking like cracks you would see on the ground created by an earthquake. But they were big enough to see the sky, the stars and the moon. The ground was from the moisture of the trees having no openings for air and light, thereby becoming mud. There was some mud that had holes made by the creatures that lurked around the forest, which, because of the moisture, made the water in the mud come out and form small puddles. The grass that grew in the forest, mostly around the trees, had a dead appearance from top to bottom. They grew in huge piles next to the tree's stumps, growing up to one and a half feet in length. There were some strings of grass around the puddles, some of them were in the discolored puddles, smashed in by feet of some of the forest creatures.

There was evidence proving the existence of the forest creatures lurking around. Lying around the muddy ground were remains of some small animals, dead for a few weeks, that cannot be identified as any creature anyone has seen. Where they were moved gives out the possibility of other creatures killing them and dragging their body parts from their dead carcasses.

Besides that, no sign of life could be seen from any path of any kind until one such life did. The life of a young fifteen-year-old girl named Kairi, who walked through these woods with deep caution. "Where am I?" she said, deeply confused about the place she was in. She looked up at the sky and shouted, "Sora? Riku! Wake me up!" But there was no answer. Kairi was in this forest all by herself.

She eyed her surroundings with her clear blue eyes, as if trying to memorize everything she saw. The trees did have a normal-looking body structure, but the demeanor of the branches and stumps were a bit perplexing. Kairi couldn't tell if, by the way the stumps formed over its years, there were even any roots in the ground. Some slime from the leaves dropped down on part of her red hair. She wiped it off, with her hand, in a disgusted expression. She didn't know it came from the leaves attached to the trees. When she did, she realized she was not anywhere recognizable. From all the worlds she stumbled onto, or places where Sora went to save her in, none of them were anything like the place she was in right at that moment.

She didn't even know how she even got here in the first place. The last thing she remembered was that she was standing by the beach of the island, looking out at the sea. She believed that she was standing there, waiting for something great to happen to her. And then, she was standing in the middle of an unknown place. Kairi took a few more steps, with the sound of mud squishing from the bottom of her feet, into the woods. But Kairi changed her mind and turned back, to see if she could find a way to get home.

Suddenly, she heard something deeper in the forest. It sounded like footsteps walking at a quick pace. There was also a possibility of someone whimpering in terror, echoing in Kairi's ears. "What was that?" she wondered out loud. Even though it may be dangerous, wanted to go find out, but her confidence wasn't there with her. Then, trying to get her confidence to work with her, She started saying to herself, "Come on, Kairi, you can do this. I know you can. You went out there to find Sora and Riku. Now, let's go and see who's out there, okay?" So she, after waiting for a few seconds, walking along the muddy grounds, following the footsteps ahead.

As she followed the footsteps, which seem to fade away after every fifteen minutes, she noticed that there was hardly any moonlight shining down. These leaves are so thick, thought Kairi, no wonder it's so damp down here. When she got close to an opening, Kairi looked between the trees to see a beautiful dark-blue sky with the moon shining brightly in the night. The light brightened the colors of her pink dress and was glistening through her red hair, giving Kairi the demeanor of a goddess. The stars were sparkling with peace and gaiety. Nothing seemed to be going wrong with them or neither the moon.

Kairi smiled and stared with awe in her eyes, seeing the sky she would watch down at Destiny Island. Then she heard the footsteps and the whimpering come from behind her. She ran towards the source until it faded away. Looking around, Kairi couldn't figure out where it came from. So she gave up and walking through the woods, waiting to hear the footsteps and the whimpering again.

After some time, walking down on the forest and looking around for any strange occurrences, Kairi stopped at her tracks and shrieked at the sight of what saw: A skeleton of a human being tied next to a tree, hanging a few feet from the ground. From the look of it, the person appeared to have been tied to the tree and was left there to die. The skin and the flesh were still moist from the lack of light. Kairi almost gagged when she noticed some of the flesh was torn away from the corpse. "I guess some animal here was hungry." She said as she was backing away from it. She could also feel her stomach acids about to come out from the wrong way; she turned around and puked for a few seconds.

Suddenly, Kairi heard a sound coming from behind her. She turned swiftly to find a figure with an organization cloak standing in front of her. Realizing whom it was, Kairi backed away from him. But she also realized that Sora destroyed all of the organization, including the ones she didn't knew about. She walked closer to the cloaked figure. "Hello?" she said. "Are you one of them?" she was referring to the organization. The figure didn't respond; instead, he just walked backwards, disappearing in the forest, leaving the perplexed Kairi behind.

Then, once again, the footsteps and the whimpering were heard and they were closer this time. Kairi looked around to see where it was coming from; then, some sounds were heard from the right side of Kairi. So she chased after the person making the footsteps and the whimpering, only not to realize the corpse turned toward her. But, strangely, it wasn't the corpse. It was something else hiding inside the corpse.

Kairi ran after the person until she could see a figure of a human being a few feet away. "Good. I'm close." She said out loud. She called after the stranger she was chasing, but he or she didn't stop. Kairi ran faster to catch up with the figure, to see why he or she was in the forest. Then, without warning, the figure stopped, making Kairi fall to the ground while trying to stop. When she got to her feet, she realized that the figure was shaking a little bit. Kairi walked up to the figure with caution and said, "Hi there. Are you lost?" the figure nodded. "Well, I'm lost too. Maybe we could team up and find a way out of here."

"I can't." The Figure replied.

Kairi was confused, she asked, "Why not?"

"They're coming." was what the figure retorted. "They're coming this way."

"Don't worry. I have some friends that can protect you from whatever is after you."

The figure turned around, its face covered by the shade of the trees. It stared at Kairi and said. "It's not me they want. They are after you."

Kairi's face darkened after what the figure told her. She was afraid of getting kidnapped again; she didn't want that to happen again. She was kidnapped twice already. Then, she realized the figure didn't mention what was it that was after her. Was it the Heartless? The Nobodies? New members of the Organization? Or was it Maleficent and Pete trying to recapture the seven Princesses of Heart? She wouldn't know until she asked the figure. "After me? They are after me? Tell me, who _is_ after me? The Heartless? The Nobodies? Are they hiding somewhere in this godforsaken forest?"

The figure was shaking his head. "No. No Heartless. No Nobodies. They are not hiding behind anything here. They don't even know the existence of this forest."

Kairi didn't understand what she just heard. Is this figure lying to her? Does he even know what the Heartless and the Nobodies are? "Then, who are after me?"

The figure walked up to some light, revealing its face to Kairi. The face was dead pale and with no eyes in its sockets. The figure also had dark-blue lips and when it opened its mouth, you could see nothing but emptiness. The hair was in a dirty white color; it was long and straight and was hanging down to the neck. It was wearing a black coat that went down to its legs. The hands were bony and had long, sharp fingernails at the edge. It knew that Kairi was standing in front of it because it could feel something in her that she didn't know about. But, what was it? It walked up to her—actually, it glided up to her and said with deep terror in its voice. "We are."

Then, without any sight of warning, more figures, identical to the one standing in front of Kairi, suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Kairi counted about fifteen, this is including the figure she talked to, of them circling around her. The only difference was their hair: some of them had the same hair that the talking figure had. Others had short black hair and are a bit spiked. Only a few of them had blood-coated hair that went down to their shoulder blades. The rest only had shaved heads. They all gathered around Kairi and all kneeled back, as if ready to pounce. Kairi looked around to see any openings so she could escape, but there were none in sight. "Goodbye, Warrior!" the Figure said, then signaled all the ghosts to pounce. Kairi fought them off as best as she can, but she was too weak. They surrounded her body while she was screaming for help. She called for Sora and Riku, but there was nothing. She was calling them with tears in her eyes and was still calling for them while being swallowed up by darkness.

**Here's the second chapter. Who were the creatures that attacked her? Who was in the black cloak of the Organization? And how did Kairi get in that forest in the first place? Keep on reading and you will find out.**


	3. Chapter 3: Memory Island

**Here is the next chapter. And this is the longest chapter I have ever written in my life. But, it is worth it. Enjoy.**

Chapter Three: _Memory Island_

When Kairi opened her eyes, she was in her bedroom and it was early morning. She checked herself for any abnormal scars or anything unusual, but all she found on her were just her pink pajama-bottoms and a white shirt with blue sleeves. She sighed in full relief knowing that it was all but a dream. "What a nightmare." is what came out of her mouth. She got out of bed and walked to her closet door, where a tall, slim mirror hanged, and checked her complexion. Beside the pajama-bottoms and shirt, she looked almost the same she was when she left Destiny Island to find Sora and also in the dream she had, but the only difference: Kairi is seventeen-years-old.

It has been around three years since she left _The World That Never Was_ with Donald, Goofy, and King Mickey; three years since Sora and Riku flew down from the sky and into the ocean. Nobody had to worry about the heartless nor either the nobodies; all but Kairi, at first. Even though she knew it was all over, for her that is, there was a part of her that was afraid that someone or some_thing_ was going to come and take her away from her home and have her friends go out and save her again. Of course, this was during the first of the three years. After that, she stopped worrying and started living her life.

She did look the same, but during those three years, Kairi's body had altered to a figure of one that would go forth on a modeling career. Her chest had developed to the point that gave her full satisfaction; they were neither too small nor too big, they were just right. Her legs, waist and buttock have gone through some alterations themselves, making her mature into a beautiful woman. The stage of womanhood, for Kairi, was clearly recognized by the male gender of any age after the age of nine, which was in a positive tone. Her hair was in the same length as it was when she was fifteen, but it was in a brighter-reddish color and her bangs were cut a bit shorter. But, despite all of that, she still had her facial features and had the sea-blue color in her eyes.

She would've been a model if it weren't for her boyish appearance. After spending a few years around boys can really fuse up a girl's mind. She had a lot of boy clothes hanging all around her closet; most of them were baggy pants with some small holes at the buttock. She also had some long-sleeve shirts, with some pictures boys like, some boy's hats and a big pile of boy's shoes, which were not organized correctly, in her closet as well. Kairi stared at her reflection for some time, showing no other expression then blankness. She was staring at the nose-stud she got when she was sixteen for getting an A on a Math test. She brushed her hair with her hand to the back of her left ear, revealing, in her reflection, some earrings: One on the earlobe and three were in the bone.

Kairi the stared at a picture that was taped on the mirror; it was of herself with Sora and Riku three years ago, after they came back from defeating the Organization XIII. She was between the boys, holding them both closely to her. Sora was on her right side with his arms around her waist and his head next to her cheek; he looked as if he was going to kiss her. Riku, however, had his hands down and was bending over so Kairi could put her arm over his shoulders. The photo was taken at a birthday party, who's birthday she couldn't remember, a few months after they came back to Destiny Island. They were so happy to even be together once again. Tears cam down her cheeks as Kairi stared at this photo. She wished she would do something like that again, but she felt she never will.

She got dressed in some jeans with white-bleached highlights and a boy's dress shirt (the sleeves were almost cut up to the shoulders and the pants were torn from the knees) and ran down the stairs to the kitchen, where she caught her mother sneaking a cookie. Her mom was named Tyra and she was, to Kairi, the greatest mother she would ever have. She was somebody who wanted Kairi to be who she wanted to be and not care what others said. How do you think she got the earrings and nose-stud in the first place? In appearance, she was the identical replica of her daughter, only a lot older and less adolescent looking. Her hair was longer than Kairi's and was in the color of the dark midnight, with a hint of some auburn-color when it hit the sun. She also had the sea-blue color in her eyes as Kairi did; unfortunately, the color was fading away, to an emerald-color, by age. She had an astonishing figure as Kairi did, but she was suppose to be on a diet because she gained some weight around the waist. This explains why Kairi caught her with a sugar cookie halfway down her throat.

Kairi laughed at the sight of her diet-cheating mom and said, "What ever happened to your diet, mom?"

Tyra smiled, almost laughing, in embarrassment, along with her daughter, and said, "I got a little side-tracked, honey."

Kairi just smiled. "Mom, I know dieting is hard, but we have to go through it some days."

"Unlike the men," Tyra retorted, a bit scornfully while putting the cookie jar away. "They don't even have to worry about their weight problems. They could just eat whatever the hell they want and not gain an ounce."

"That is not true, mom. There are some boys out there who watch what they eat. And whenever they do pig out, they burn it off by exercise."

"Like your friends?" Her mother said, which she felt regretful for saying it.

Kairi stood at her place, which was by the sink and at the right side of Tyra, not saying anything or making any certain movements whatsoever. She was like this for a minute before she started for the door. "I'm gonna go out for a while."

"Where are you going, anyway?" Tyra asked with concern, but knew what answer she was going to get.

Kairi stopped at the door and turned to Tyra and replied, "I'm going to the island."

"Well, be back by midnight, okay?"

"Why midnight?"

"Enough time for me to think up a present for you." Was what Tyra told her daughter as she smiled and walked out the door.

* * *

Kairi reached the docks an hour later, where she found a couple of girls laughing and giggling over something. She was a bit curious over what they were saying, but, for some reason, she didn't feel that interested.

The girls spotted her as she got down to her boat, full of joy and surprise. "Hay, Kairi!" one of the girls said as they ran towards her. "Hey, Kairi, guess what happened yesterday."

Kairi looked up at them with a bland stare, "What?"

"We just found out from Wakka a half hour ago," the other girl said, "We still can't believe that it's really true."

"What happened yesterday?" Kairi asked again.

The two girls stared at each other, smiling and giggling some more, then turned back to her and shouted simultaneously, "Tidus and Selphie shared a paopu fruit together!"

Kairi was surprised herself. Of course, she wasn't that surprised; she knew this was going to happen sooner or later. Tidus and Selphie were spending a lot of time together before Kairi came back and, later, developed a little relationship. She remembered Selphie always told Kairi how much she liked Tidus in the sexual way almost every day, but was never to even confess it to him in person. She even knew that, according to what Sora once told her, that she wanted to try the paopu fruit for a long time. And now, she actually got the chance to try it out, and with Tidus, the boy she liked very much.

She told the girls that Tidus should be very proud of himself for having the courage to even make this commitment, even to one of her best friends. She then told them that she had to leave quickly. One of the girls asked her if she was going to share the paopu one day. Kairi answered, "I hope."

"Hopping to share it with Sora?" the first girl said. Kairi didn't answer her because she was thinking about the little carving in the cave of her head and his head. There was also the carving of an arm with a paopu fruit in the hand; it was carved by Sora four years ago, on the day before their world was consumed. When she found it, she carved her arm with a paopu fruit in her hand. She wanted to share the paopu fruit with Sora for a long time. A tear came down her cheek when this thought flowed through her head, but she shook it off and said to the girls, "I don't know if I'll ever share it with Sora. Besides, he doesn't really believe in that kind of thing; he thought of it as a pointless fairy tale."

The two girls frowned a little after listening to Kairi. They knew how she felt whenever they, or anyone else, mentioned Sora and/or Riku; they felt very sorry for her because of this. Then, when Kairi was about to sail off, the second girl (the one that spoke after the other one) asked, "Where did he and Riku go, anyway?"

Kairi was quiet for a long time, then she turned to the girls and answered, not smiling, "They went out to take care of something in another island. Who knows when they'll be back." She waved to the girls goodbye and was on her way.

* * *

Kairi sailed down the sea, heading towards the island where she used to play in with Sora and Riku. The closer she was to the island, the stronger the memories she kept in her head were. Personally, Kairi stopped calling Destiny Island and started calling it Memory Island because it was the only place that never changed during the years and was where her memories were the strongest and would never go away. The first time she ever called it by that name was during the time when Sora and Riku left her behind, for the second time, making her feel alone emotionally.

She jumped onto the docks in just one leap. The wood aged a little bit, making it creak whenever feet slammed on it. She turned to the edge of the docks where she remembered sitting next to Sora, which was also on the day before their world was consumed, and sighed. She shook it off a second later and walked down a path to the beach, feeling the breeze blow in her face. The beach was clear and fresh and the ocean was showing its crystal-blue color as it splashed along the white sandy bed. Kairi walked down the beach, taking her time with every step. She was looking around at her surroundings on Memory Island, looking as it was when she first saw it as a little girl. She stopped at the point where the water from the ocean could touch her feet and was staring out to the sea with a blank expression.

It wasn't until later she realized she was standing on the very spot where Sora first found her as a little boy. She could never forget when she first saw him. His flawless features on his face, his brown and spiky hair and all around his forehead. He was staring at her with a curious gaze, pondering over who this girl was. He leaned close to her face and asked her where she came from, but she disappointed him by telling him she didn't know.

Then, Sora leaned forward once again and asked, "What's your name? My name is Sora. What's yours?" and the answer he got from her was one small word: _Kairi._

This memory faded away with the wind and Kairi looked around the beach once more, digging her shoes into the sand. Then, suddenly, she laughed and wrapped her hand around her stomach. She remembered when she met got to know Sora and Riku and how it ended in an unusual way.

She was only seven or eight at the time; it was one of those days when she was depressed for no apparent reason whatsoever. She was sitting down on the beach, staring out into the abyss, when Sora and Riku walked up to her. They just got done with some sword fighting (don't worry, they used wooden swords) and wanted her to play with them, since she isn't playing with all the other kids.

Sora stood next to her and said, "Hey, Kairi. Do you want to play with me and Riku for a while? We promise to be gentle to you." Kairi shook her head no in the way many little girls shake their heads no when boys asked them to play with them. Sora's smile faded when Kairi turned him down. He turned to Riku, wondering what was wrong. Riku, while brushing his white away from his eyes, suggested that they should talk to her and console her as best as they can. Sora agreed. He turned back to Kairi and knelt beside her, asking her if she was okay. Kairi turned to him and saw his adorable, but concerned, eight-year-old face.

Kairi nodded her head, "Yeah, I'm fine." But she wasn't smiling at all, which made Sora a bit more concerned than before.

He was worried about Kairi for a few days now because she hasn't been playing with all the other kids. She never even walked up to them and asked if they wanted her to play with them. They all thought she was a bit cuckoo in the head. Sora and Riku, on the other hand, believed that she was just lonely for the place where she came from, the place she couldn't remember. They felt she didn't deserve to be unhappy all her life. She needed some kids to play with her, and those kids were two boys by the names of Sora and Riku.

Sora rested his knees on the sand, staring at Kairi, and asked, "Are you sure you're okay? Because I don't think you are."

"I don't think so either." Riku agreed.

"Well, I am!" Kairi shouted.

"Then, how come you're sitting here by yourself?" Sora asked.

"Because I want to be by myself, Sora."

"But, Kairi, why can't you just hang around with us? We can protect you from any bed guys and all the monster lurking around here. We can be your best friends."

"I don't feel too happy to be anyone's best friend." was Kairi's reply.

They sat there for a minute until Sora came up with an idea that not only can make Kairi happy, but can also make her laugh. He decided to tickle her on the belly by using the evil fingers, which was what his dad used on him ever since he was five. He began by pretending that his fingers were hurting.

Kairi looked up at him, "Sora, what's the matter? What's wrong with your hands?"

"They're starting to hurt all of a sudden."

Riku was a bit worried too, but, then, he realized what he was doing; after all, he was there when Sora's dad would tickle him. He decided to play along, "Uh-oh."

"What?" Kairi turned to Riku.

"It's happening."

"What's happening?"

"Sora's getting the evil fingers." Kairi asked what the evil fingers were. "The evil fingers are fingers that are taken over by evil demons that like to tickle little girls like you on the belly and they don't ever stop. So you better run away from him, cause he might get you."

And get her was what Sora did; he tickled her for only a few minutes. She was laughing very much from the feeling of his fingers wiggling all around her belly. He stopped when Kairi begged him to stop. They giggled for some time, seeing each other's smiles on their faces. Then, without any hint of warning, Kairi wrapped her arms around Sora's waist, hugging him tightly. This confused Sora very much, but, strangely, it also made him a bit comfortable. Then, he heard her say, "Thank you for making me happy, Sora." to his ear. Now, at that moment, being a little boy of eight-years-old, Sora would've pushed her away, saying cooties over and over again, but instead, he smiled and hugged her around her neck, saying, "No problem."

Riku felt left out by this and squeezed in between them, making a group hug between the three of them.

This was the day when Kairi became best friends with Sora and Riku, which they were best friends for a few more years. It was also the day when she first developed a little crush on Sora.

The memory of the three of them hugging was still in Kairi's head and she was watching it with a tear running down her cheek. Then, the memory faded away like dust as she walked through it; she was heading towards the little badly made wooden cottage that lead to the small, round island where a paopu tree was. She reached the tree and climbed on it, surprised to find out that it could hold her weight. She jumped off and ran around the coconut trees, as if she was a little girl again.

Suddenly, she stopped when she remembered that this the exact place where she, Sora and Riku received the letter from King Mickey in a bottle. It was three years ago since then, but it felt to Kairi only yesterday. She remembered running up to the boys with the bottle in her hands, calling to them.

Sora and Riku turned to her. "Hey, what's up?" Sora said. Kairi held up the bottle with something inside it. Sora took it and saw that the item was a rolled-up piece of paper. Stamped on a corner of it was a picture of a green mouse head. Sora recognized it as King Mickey's seal. "From the King?" He took the cork out and slid the letter out of the bottle. He then opened it to see what was inside, Kairi and Riku were looking over his shoulders. What they read in the letter was this:

_Dear Sora and Riku,_

_I'm writing to you both on urgent notice. It looks like we have another mission to take care of and we need your help a lot. Master Yen Sid wants you both to come to his tower, where he'll explain the mission to you in full detail. I will have some transportation that'll help you reach the tower in two days. And there is something else you need to know: This mission is going to take longer than the last one. Hope we accomplish it ASAP. See ya later._

_ King Mickey_

_PS: I don't know how to say this, but I request you two to spend those two days with Kairi because you are not going to to see her for a long time._

The three friends stared at the letter for a long time before Sora put it down. They were very quiet afterwards; no sound came from either of them for another long while. Sora and Riku cannot believe that there is another mission for them to accomplish. But Sora figured "What must be done must to be done." He turned to Riku with an enthusiastic smile, "You ready to do it again, Riku?"

Riku smiled back, "Yeah."

Kairi looked at them, not believing what they were saying. Sora and Riku, her closest friends ever, were going to go on another mission, leaving her again and making her miserable. She turned and ran off. "Hey, Kairi! Wait!" Sora was shouting before running after her. Riku tagged along behind them.

Kairi stood by the coconut trees, clutching her chest tightly. Her heart was starting to ache because she wasn't close to Sora and this memory only made it worse for her. The memories of Sora always ached her in the heart. She wanted Sora to be with her. She wanted him to hold her in his arms. She missed him very much and as the days and nights passed on without him here with her, the pain in her heart increased. Her secret crush on him was also making her heart hurt. He didn't actually know that she loved him a lot, as much as he loved her. This was also why she ran away from him. She didn't want him to see her tears on her cheeks. There were already some tears when she ran.

Suddenly, something caught her eye down on the beach. There were two figures standing in the middle of the beach, staring up at Kairi. She didn't know who they were for they had hoods over their heads. The one on the right had to be a boy for he was wearing a pair of black pants that fit him perfectly, revealing his muscular legs, and a pair of black boots. He was also in a tan-colored sweater with a brown vest in the outside. The figure on the opposite side, however, was indeed a girl for she was in a beautiful blue robe. She was also wearing some white pants and some white shoes. Kairi couldn't figure out their purpose for even being here in the first place. She assumed that they must have some connection with this mission Sora and Riku were in and they were on their side. But, she thought, what if they were minions for Malificent? What if they came to kidnap me and take me away from my home? I don't want to go through that again. I just can't. But the thought of that was just ridiculous. There hadn't been any of the Heartless or Nobodies all around the Island. And, besides, these two strange figures didn't look threatening in any way. So, after a second, Kairi started for them, to find out who they are.

Just then, the two figures started to run under the bridge that connected the round paopu Island to the big island. Kairi called for them but they didn't listen. She ran towards the edge and jumped off, landing on the soft sandy service. She saw them heading towards the door that headed to the second half of the Island. Kairi started for them until . . .

"Kairi!" Kairi turned around to find Selphie, Tidus and Wakka walking down the path from the docks. They appeared to have arrived a few minutes ago. The two boys were carrying a lot of beach equipment while Selphie was hopping up and down, waving to Kairi. She walked up to her, saying, "Hello, Kairi and Happy Eighteenth Birthday!"

Kairi smile and accepted her friends embrace, then said, "Thank you, but my birthday is not until five days from now."

Selphie broke off the embrace, "I know, but I wanted to give you a head-start."

"Well, thanks anyway." She retorted. "So, what are you guys doing here?"

Tidus put down huge, white cooler that looked heavier than himself, "It's the summertime. We always come to the beach during summertime. Why are you here?"

"I was just looking around, as usual. I just came down from the paopu fruit tree," Kairi turned to Tidus, "Which I wanted to congratulate you for."

Tidus didn't know what she talking about at first, then it clicked in his head. He caught Selphie by her hand and wrapped her around the waist, smiling, "Oh, thank you very much." He kissed his girlfriend on her cheek.

There was a hint of disappointment in Selphie's face, "Oh, Kairi, I wanted to tell you after we shared the paopu fruit, but Tidus kept me busy moving his tongue all around my mouth."

"Hey, TMI, man! TMI!" Wakka said waving his hand at them. He turned to Kairi, "Hey, why don't you join us? We can have a great time." The two lovers agreed.

Kairi resisted, "I would if I was dressed for the occasion. Besides, I just want to be alone for a while." She waved to them and ran to the door leading to the second half of the island.

They were quiet for a moment. Then, Selphie turned to the boys with enthusiasm, "Well, since Kairi's not here, why don't make plans for her surprise party?"

"What party?" Tidus asked, of course, he was joking around.

"Oh Tidus."

"Well, I think it's a great idea to have it here."

"Yeah, everyone can arrive in their swimsuits so they could go down to the ocean and splash each other."

Wakka ran over to the edge of the beach (opposite the ocean) and turned to his friends. "This could be the place to put all of grub in, man!"

Tidus nodded, "Yeah! We can put the snacks on one side, the beverages on the other side and put the cake in the center. That could look really cool."

"That would be great. That way, it's away from the salt-water. And here—" Selphie went on as they gave out more great ideas for the surprise party.

* * *

Meanwhile, on the second half of the Island, Kairi ran to the beach area, trying to catch up with the two figures. When she reached the area, she was too late. The figures were gone. She was breathing heavily, hand down no her knees. When she looked up, she saw the raft they built to sail off to other worlds, which they never used. She walked up to it and got on it, smiling a bit. She remembered standing here once, sewing together some shells to make her lucky charm. This was where she told Sora to get some supplies for the voyage that later became pointless.

When she thought about Sora, her heart started to hurt very badly, hurting to the point that could make her cry in loneliness. Then, she heard some footsteps from behind her. She thought it was Selphie or Tidus checking up on her. They knew she missed Sora, they just didn't know she missed him that much. Then, she thought it was the figures attempting to surprise her from behind. But, when she turned, she saw herself as a fifteen-year-old, running away from whatever she was running away from. That was when Kairi remembered.

Kairi, in the memory, held onto the pole in the center of the raft. She was crying her eyes out because of what happened between Sora and Riku. She was dispirited in the heart because Sora was, once again, leaving her for the second time, which was not what she wanted. She was also angry because of it.

Sora came running up to her, breathing heavily and a bit irritated. He spotted her on the raft, then walked up to her. "Kairi!" He said with the hint of anger in his voice, "What's the matter with you?"

Kairi didn't budge one inch from her place. When she did, she saw Sora standing in front of her, but not on the raft, glaring at her. She walked to the edge of the raft, and asked "Why?"

Sora's glare stood, "Why what?"

"Why do you have to leave?"

"Because I have to, Kai, the King needs me."

"But why now?" was Kairi's next question.

Sora stood there, his glare faded a bit, "I guess my life works in that way."

"What about me, Sora? What am I going to do?"

Sora knew what was going to happen next, his glare faded away for good. He remembered the last time he left her; he promised he was going to back for her, but he never did. "I know I promised you I'd come back for you, but I'm going to keep that promise, Kairi, you know I will."

"Why can't I just come with you and Riku?" Kairi said, jumping down from the raft.

"Because it's too dangerous. I just want you to be safe, Kairi. And, this time, I am coming back for you. Just wait for me, Kairi, wait for me and I will come back for you." Sora saw the frown on Kairi and the new tears that were coming. Sora's heart ached in agony because he was hurting Kairi very badly. He didn't deserve her if he was going to hurt her like this. Then, he came up with something that can cheer things up. "Ouch." He said as he rubbed her hands.

"What's the matter, Sora?" Kairi wondered.

"Nothing, Kairi, but my hands are starting to hurt."

Kairi shrieked, knowing what he meant, and ran away. Sora laughed and was after with the evil fingers. He caught her and tickled her in the belly for a few minutes. When he stopped, Kairi was laughing gayly. Then, she wrapped her arms around Sora's waist and hugged him tightly. She was still crying over the fact that Sora was going to go. Then, she said, "I'm going to miss you."

Sora wrapped his arms around her neck, said to her, "I'm going to miss you too."

Suddenly, the trail of thought was disturbed when Kairi heard Selphie's voice from behind her. They were a bit worried when they saw her watching the raft and she was holding on to her chest. Selphie nudged Tidus forward, who protested and then gave up, and was walking towards her.

"Uh, Kairi," Tidus began, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I was just reminiscing for a while."

Selphie knew what she meant, "About Sora?" Kairi nodded, "Don't worry, he'll be back. You know he will."

"Of course, I do."

"Well, Kairi, do you still want to hang out with us?"

There was a long silence before Kairi said, "I'll be there."

Tidus and Selphie smiled a bit and left her alone. Kairi then stared out at the ocean, beside the raft, like she always did. Little did she know, the two figures were watching her from the coconut trees behind her; they stare at her with pain and remorse. But, somewhere out in another world, there was somebody else watching her as well.

* * *

That somebody else was Ansem the Wise. Yes, Ansem was alive and well and looked as he always did since he vanished in _The World That Never Was_ three years ago. But instead of the black and red outfit he wore before, he was wearing a pure white suit; he also had on a black dress shirt with a white tie. There were some physical changes he went through after his disappearance: His hair and goat-tee were now in a pure white color, just like his suit, and both were combed straight as if they were naturally straight. Another was the red fire color in his eyes. They were now in a crystal-blue color; he must have gone through some recovery from the research he's done over the years. He stood in front of a screen that has Kairi staring out at the sea for a few minutes. Then, he lowered his head and closed his eyes and, after a small silence, he spoke, "I thought they were going to speak to her."

Standing behind him was the Hooded Figure, leaning next to a wall. She was in the same outfit as she was when she talked to him in _The World That Never Was_ four years ago. She straightened herself and walked up to Ansem. She answered him with "They decided to speak to her tomorrow."

Ansem smiled, "I was just wondering. She has changed a lot over the years."

The Hooded Figure looked up at the screen, "Yes, she has. She's looking a lot like her mother, don't you think so?"

"Yes, I believe so. I always say to myself, 'Is this the girl that will save the light and destroy the Forgotten Evil?' And, then, I answer to myself, 'Yes, she is. She is a the Warrior, just like Xena was in her day.'"

"She does remind me of her, don't you think so?"

Ansem nodded. Then, he said, "I just found out that the Apostles are expecting to see her soon."

"They'll get their chance in five more days."

"Five days. Excellent."

"Excellent indeed."

The two stand in front of the screen, watching Kairi staring out at the sea. One moment, she was a pretty little princess of heart, and now she was she will soon be a woman in five days. How does time pass by, The Hooded Figure thought.

**What did I tell your about this chapter being so long. It is very long! Besides that, tell me what you think of it by reviewing it. And, please, do it soon, my review box is getting a bit lonely.**


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